However, this isn’t just a police matter. We have to remember governments invest in police resources based on public demand. For our program to continue and succeed, we need both public support and commitment from national governments around the world.

INTERPOL’s nascent environmental crime program is just three years old, having grown out of initial investments nearly ten years ago by the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) and other non-profit organizations whose supporters demanded help to save animals from wildlife trafficking.

It was this public support that made it clear; environmental crime needed to become part of INTERPOL’s core focus.

With all of our member countries having acknowledged the importance of environmental crime, it is critical that each country take steps to participate meaningful in halting its spread and reversing the tide:

Countries need to send executives and decision makers to INTERPOL’s Environmental Compliance and Enforcement Committee (ECEC) meeting in Nairobi, 4-8 November, where these leaders work with INTERPOL to develop integrated strategies to combatting environmental crime. To date, only 49 of the 190+ possible countries have registered to attend.

Countries must prioritize wildlife crime by setting up National Environmental Security Task Forces (NEST) to work with INTERPOL on enforcement

Each country must shut down its unregulated markets

People should be educated to reject wildlife products

The news reports of poaching and seizures can be discouraging at times, but it is important to remember that over the past decade, we have made tremendous progress in understanding and cracking down on environmental crime.

We have built the required strategy for the international cooperation of law enforcement agencies designed to make real impact on criminal networks.

Now, we need continued support from people like you and non-profit organizations like IFAW to ensure that country’s take the necessary actions to help INTERPOL stop wildlife trafficking.

We are grateful that IFAW is committed to letting people know when they can take specific action in their countries.

Your support of them and in turn, INTERPOL, will help save ever increasing numbers of wildlife from criminal trade.

--DH

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